Package filling machine



Nov. 23, 1937. A. ANDREAS' 2,099,834

PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 23, 1937. A, ANDREAS 2,099,834

PACKAGE FILLI NG MACHINE Filed March 16, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,v lNvENToR 17H20 nd/eas ATTORNEY Nov. 23, 1937. A. ANDREAS PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ummk lNvENToR f77-1z0 /ndreas ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bagpak, Inc., New of Delaware Application March 16,

Claims.

il0 means for filling packages with the weighed material, al1 the units preferably being arranged for control by a single operator, and coordinated so that as a bag in one unit is discharged from the machine, the weighed material in a unit on which an empty bag has just been placed is by the same operation released from the weighing machine for delivery to the bag. An object of the invention hence resides in the provision, especially in combination with other features of such a machine, of simple and effective mechanism for positively preventing the discharge of weighed material in a given unit before full weight had been reached. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of improved control mechanism for such a machine, which mechanism requires few manipulations on the part of the operator, and at the same time is neither complicated and expensive to manufacture nor involved in operation. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out in connection with the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bag filling machine in accordance with the invention, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged' vertical section of one unit in such a machine, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view, partly diagrammatic, showing certain features of a weighing mechanism suitable for employment in such a bag filling machine, and the parts being in the positions they occupy while the weighing receptacle is being filled.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in 'position for discharge of weighed material from the weighing receptacle.

Turning first to Fig. l, there is shown a plurality of bag filling units each including weighing mechanism, means to convey weighed material into the bags, and means for supporting the bags in filling position and for discharging them from the machine. 'I'he weighing machines in York, N. Y.. a corporation 1932, Serial No. 599,150

this view are shown diagrammatically at A-I, A-2, A-3 and A-4, there being four umts illustrated, though it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to constructions in which other numbers of units are employed.

Below the respective weighing mechanisms, there are positioned hoppers B-I, B-2, B-I, and B-4 for receiving the weighed material from the several weighing machines, and delivering it to turbines at C-I, C-2, C-3 and C-4, which. in turn, deliver the material through spouts D-I, D-2, D-3 and D-4 into bags supported on cradles E--I, E-2, E-J and E-4. These cradles are preferably, though not necessarily, of the type described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 570,330, filed October 22, 1931. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific construction of the cradles, as the features covered herein may be combined with other bag supports. As shown, each cradle comprises a bag chair I0, adapted to support the bottom of a bag and suitably secured to generally upright arms I I which may be pivoted at their lower ends on jogging mechanism (not shown). Other arms I2 for controlling the tilting of arms I I may be pivoted in any convenient manner at their lower ends and connected to arms II through pivoted links Il. In this manner arms II and I2 are adapted to tilt forwardly for discharging bags from the machine. 'The cradle is preferably so constructed that the center of gravity ofthe bag when on the bag chair is forward of the arms II, so that the cradle tends to tilt forward by gravity particularly when there is material in the bag, on account of the moment acting about the pivots of arms I I. For maintaining the cradle in upright position while a bag is being filled, arm I2 is shown as having a pin Il for engagement by a latch member I5 which is pivoted to stationary frame I6, as at l1.

For releasing the latch I 5, there is shown a rod I8 having a slot I 9 for cooperation with a pin 20 on the latch. The rod Il of each unit is pivoted at its upper end as at 2|, to an arm 22 secured to a respective one of a series of sleeves F-2, F-l and F-I, in the case of units Nos. 2, 3 and 4, and to shaft F-I in the case of unit No.

' 1. The shaft F-I is shown journalled in suitable brackets 23, which are secured to a stationary part of the machine, sleeves F-2, F3 and F--I being journalled on said shaft between adjacent brackets. When a sleeve, or the shaft, is rotated in a clockwise direction, Fig. 2, it will raise the rod I8, thus releasing the latch from engagement with the bag cradle and permitting the bag to be discharged from the machine. For returning these parts to their positions shown in Fig. 2, the rod iB may be made suiliciently heavy, or have a weight 2d carried therewith, so that the rod i8 tends always to assume its lowermost position. Although the cradle is adapted, upon release of latch i5, to tilt forwardly through the actiony of gravity to discharge bags containing material, it may be desirable to impart an initial boost to the cradle to overcome friction of the parts and possible sticking of the bag valve on the spout. For this purpose, a booster member 25 is shown adapted to contract with upright arm if to push the upper end of the latter forw y. The booster may preferably be made of' res lient material such as steel, and secured to arm 26 of a bell crank lever pivoted as at 2l on the stationary frame. 'The rod i8 may pass through an elongated slot (not shown) in the other arm lid of the bell crank and has a pin 29 for engaging said arm upon upward movemen of the rod, preferably just after the latch i has been released. The arm it maybe bent as at tt for 'engaging pin it to prevent the booster from being swung outwardly and upwardly so far that it will catch on upright if when the latter swings back to its position shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to each of the sleeves F-f, F-t and F-t there is a handle G-i, G--t and G-t respectively, while a handle G-d is secured to a shaft F--i at its end opposite to that at which the latch releasing mechanism for the cradle in No. l unit is secured. Each of these handles may be secured through an arm ill and set screw di,

. and preferably extends, for convenience of operation, forwardly and generally horizontallyy in its normal position as shown in Fig. l.

Each unit of the bag filling machine is shown as including a bag clamp til preferably having an element til of resilient material for engaging the bag and maintaining it on the spout, as best shown in Fig. 2. Each bag clamp may be pivoted on shaft hi--i between forked portions dit of brackets til, and is preferably constructed so that it tends to swing forwardly to clamping position because of its own weight, and is free to swing in the opposite direction while a bag is beingV placed on the spout. A bag being in place, the clamp swings forward and may be further urged to clamping position by reason of the impact on the bag caused by entering material impinging on. the walls of the same. The operator may, of course, manually pull the clamp forward to clamping position.

For releasing the bag clamps, there are shown in the several units arms I-I-i, Iiii, H--t and H-, the rst of which may be secured to the shaft SEL-i, while the others may be secured to sleeves F-2, F-3 and F-t through set screws 36. Each of the arms is preferably provided with an adjustable member, such as a set screw 3l, arranged to contact with a corresponding bag clamp for effecting release of the same. By means of this construction, lost motion may be provided for, in order that upon operating the handles G the latches I5 may be released in proper coordination with, and preferably just subsequent to, the release of the bag clamps, and so that desired adjustments may be made. At

the same time, bags may be placed on the spouts and clamped independently of operation of the clamp releasing mechanism.

Arms .l-i, J-Z, J-3 and J-4 are shown secured respectively to the sleeves F-2, F-3 andv F-4, and to the shaft F--L as by set screws 38, and adapted through mechanismv of the character described hereinafter to cause discharge of weighed material from the ,weighing machines upon operation of the handles G. Thus actuation oi each handle G will release the ycradle latch and bag clamp in one unit and swing arm J -to effect discharge of weighed material from another. The operation of the machine will be further described below. Each arm J is shown pivoted as at 4I to a connecting rod 40, pivoted in turn, to a lever 48 pivotally mounted on a stationary member 44 of the frame of the machine. This lever 43 is adapted to contact with arm 45 of a bell crank also pivoted on stationary member 44. The lever 43 and the arm 45 of the bell crank are shown provided, respectively, with inclined faces 46 and di, so constructed and arranged that as the lever 46 is urged forwardly from its position shown in Fig. 2 it will strike the arm 4d of the bell crank and actuate the same in a counter-clockwise direction. The other arm it of the bell crank is shown provided with a pin dd residing in slot til in the lower end of connecting rod 5i, which may, where desired, be connected through direction reverse member 52 and suitable mechanism hereafter described, to means for controlling the discharge of material from the weighing machine. Provision is thus made for release of the weighed material through actuation of the handle in a given unit. Furthermore, these parts are preferably so constructed that upon operation of the handle Gr, the lever til will swing pastv the bell crank arm ,d5 to release the connecting rod di to permit the latter to return to its position shown in Fig. 2, even though the handle G is not promptly released. Upon subsequent releaseV of the handle G, however, the handle, the lever dii, and the connections therebetween will be permitted to return to their positions shown in Fig. 2 without any effect upon the rod tl and its connections to the weighing mechanism. The purpose of this arrangement will be better apparent following a description of one form of weighing mechanism which has been found particularly suitable for machines of the present character.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and t, there is shown such a weighing mechanism including a frame tit on which there is supported through any convenient balance arm (not shown) a weighing receptacle tl located below feed valves t2 and t3 which control the flow of material from a hopper iid into the receptacle. These valves are preferably of the full and dribble feed type, respectively, and may be controlled in any known manner through connections between arms 65 and t6 carried respectively by the valves 62 and fit, and the balance arm of the scales (not shown) It will be understood that these valves operate successively to reduce the feed considerably, and then stop it entirely just as full weight is reached in the weighing receptacle.

At the bottom of the receptacle 6| there is shown a valve 6l pivoted thereon through arm 69 and pivot pin 10. This valve may be counterweighted as at 68 to aid in returning it to closed position. For locking the valve in closed position While the receptacle is being lled, the valve 61 may have an arm 1I secured thereto and pivoted as at 'l2 to toggle link 13, which in turn is pivoted at one end to the end of toggle link 14, as at l5. This toggle link 14 is shown pivoted at 11, at its other end, to arm 'i6 secured to the weighingreceptacle 6|. A pin 'i8 on the recepconnecting link I2 connected to the bell crank 52. A counterwelght Il may be suitably connected to arm 1l' for returning this arm and related partsto normal position.

Secured to the arm 18' and adapted to swing therewith about pivot II there is shown a pawl- 83 adapted to engage shoulder u formed onfiatch member l5. This latch member may b pivoted to the frame 60 as indicated at and have an Y arm B1 for purposes hereafter mentioned. The

swing upwardly to engage the pin lll on link I4 of the toggle. In order to automatically withdraw the latch I6 from engagement with the pawl, and thus permit the breaking of the toggle. there is shown an arm Il connected as at 89 through plate 90 to the dribble feed valve 63. It will be understood that when full weight of material is in the weighing receptacle, the latter will descend in order to trip suitable mechanism (not shown) and release the dribble feed valve 63 for closing. This valve may be suitably weighted so that it closes upon the release of a trip (not shown). As the valve 8l swings downwardly from its position shown in Fig. 3 to its position shown in Fig. 4, the arm 88 will be raised to its position shown in Fig. 4 and its foot 9| will be caused to engage the arm B1 on the latch member, swinging the latter upwardly, and hence the shoulder I4 outwardly from engagement with pawl 83, thus freeing the arm 'I8' for swinging upwardly to strike the pin on the toggle link 14, when the handle G is pulled down in the manner already described.

Although the operation and advantages of apparatus of the present character will be generally apparent from the preceding description, they may now be briefly mentioned. As indicated in my copending application Serial No. 419,986, the operator after placing an empty bag on spout D-I and cradle E-l will actuate handle G-I, thus causing discharge of weighed material from automatic scale mechanism A-l, assuming that material is being fed to the scales through suitable conveyor mechanism so that a predetermined quantity has already been weighed out. If the machine is being started there may not be a bag on unit 2, but if there is, that bag will be discharged, at least if it is filled with material. The operator will then proceed to unit 2, and having put a bag in place, will manipulate handle G--2, with the result that the ,ow of material into the bag from the weighing mechanism in unit 2 will be started, provided there is fullA weight in the weighing receptacle. The operator then proceeds similarly with respect to unit 3. Upon actuating handle G-4 in proper sequence, the bag in unit 1, which has now been filled, is discharged, and the operator returns to unit 1 and proceeds as before in the next cycle.

In operating apparatus of the character described, it will be understood that should the operator depress one of the handles G to eifect discharge of a bag on the cradle controlled by that handle, when insufiicient material is in the weighing receptacle the discharge valve of which is controlled by the same handle, the parts are so arranged that the handle may move far enough to release the bag clamp and cradle latch in the said unit, even though the rod I cannot be inoved to effect opening oi the discharge valve on the weighing receptacle. It will also be apparent that the one-way trip construction embodying the lever 43 and cooperating bell crank is not essential to permit this action of the handie, for sufilcient lost motion may be provided, for instance, through an elongated pin and slot construction between arm 4l and rod Il. In this manner, danger of discharging weighed material before full weight in the weighing receptacle is positively prevented, while at the same time the discharge of filled bags is not interfered with. Moreover, should one weighing mechanism be out of commission, the other units of the machine may still be operated, so that the whole machine is not out of service when a single weighing mechanism is being cleaned or repaired. At the same time, the general sequence of operation may be the same as described.

'I'he construction embodying the one-way trip device is particularly advantageous for the reason that upon depressing handle G, the bag cradle controlled thereby may take appreciable time to discharge the bag thereon. It, therefore, becomes desirable to hold the handle G depressed until the bag is discharged. While the handle G is held depressed, it is obvious that the discharge valve on the weighing receptacle,

`in certain prior constructions, will not be able to close, but at the same time the weighing receptacle having emptied, will be automatically rising to position where the balance arm effects opening of the full and dribble feed valves. Thus, it might happen that an additional amount of material would run through the weighing receptacle before the handle G is released with the result that too much material would be filled into one bag. 'Ihe one-way trip mechanism described. or its mechanical equivalent, permits a handle G to be depressed for as long as is necessary to insure discharge of a bag, and at the same time, permits the automatic weighing machine to start on the next weighing operation, without fear that the discharge valve on the weighing receptacle will be held open for an excessive time.

The operations effected by actuation of a handle G preferably occur in the following sequence: the bag clamp may first be released, the cradle may then be unlatched and the booster may thereafter strike the cradle. All this is desirably accomplished by an initial movement of the handle, while the discharge of weighed material may becaused by a subsequent or continued movement of the handle.

It may be noted that a number of features disclosed herein are not claimed because they are claimed in my co-pending applications above referred to.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. In a package filling machine comprising a plurality of units each having means including a receptacle for Weighing aquantity of material prior to placing it inthe package, and means to dis' charge the package from the machine, an outlet valve on the receptacle, means to latch said valve prior to a predetermined weight oi7 material being reached, means to deliver material from the outletv valve to the package, means for causing the package discharge means to function, and a connection between said last named means and said outlet valve for operating said outlet valve, said connection including sumcient lost motion to cause complete actuation of said package discharge means prior to actuation of said outlet valve.

2. In a package hlling machine comprising a plurality of units each having means including a' receptacle for Weighing a quantity of material prior to placing it in the package, and means to` discharge the package from the machine, an outlet valve on the receptacle, means to latch said valve prior to a predetermined Weight oi' material being reached, means to deliver material from the outlet valve to the package, a manually operable handle, a connection between said handle and said package discharge means to initiate operation thereof; a connection between said handle and said outlet valve for initiating the opening of the same; the latter connection including suiiicient lost motion to cause complete actuation of said package discharge means prior to initiation oi the opening or" said outlet valve.

3. in a package filling machine having a plurality or units each including Weighing mechanism, means to support a package for filling and discharge, and ineans to guide material from the weighing mechanism into the package, a handle and means operable upon movement thereof to control the discharging action of the package support in one unit, and means controlled hy said handle :for effecting discharge or material tothe guiding means and for releasing the weigh? ing mechanism or" another `dnit for a subsequent weighing operation irrespective or" the return oi7 said handle and continued operation of said means to control the discharging action o! the package support in the first unit.

4. In a package filling machine, a plurality oi' having an interconnection with said releasing means in one unit and an interconnection with the package supporting and discharging means in another unit ior causing operation of both said package discharging means and said releasing means, the interconnection between said unitary means and said releasing means providing for complete actuation of said package discharging means prior to actuation of said releasing means.

5. In a package hlling machine, a plurality of units each. including a receptacle for Weighing and discharging materials, means to support and discharge a package, and means to guide weighed material from the receptacle to the package, means to prevent discharge of material from the receptacle irrespective of operation of the weighing mechanism, means mounted independently or the Weighing means for releasing said discharge preventing means, means engaging said reieasihg means for preventing operation oi said releasing means until a predetermined amount of material has been weighed, a handle, interconnections including a lost motion device between said handle and said releasing means in one unit, and inter connections between said handle and said package supporting and discharging means in another iinit, whereby operation oi said handle causes operation of the releasing means, and package discharging action of the supporting means independent of the action oi the releasing means.

ARN@ ANDREAS. 

